Youthful Spirit
by Aredhel Lindelena
Summary: A BtVSHP cross: just after the gang implodes Sunnydale, someone shows up, looking to harm Buffy. When she wakes up, she's looking at a man that calls himself Sirius Black... (rated r just to be safe: some language)
1. Prologue

Buffy/HP Crossover  
  
**Author's first law**: Forget book five. Just forget it. This fic takes place DURING Harry's fifth year, and as such, I shall be changing the parts that made me cry buckets (namely: a certain someone's death). Artistic license. Deal with it.  
  
**Author's second law**: Forget Angel. I've only seen a few choice episodes, and this fic takes place BEFORE the last season. I'm not sure if I want to bring the characters into play, but now I have the option. Just covering my bases.  
  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything. At all. They belong to their respective owners (who, in case you didn't get it, are not me). I'm just playing with them for a bit. Do not sue me, as I have no money.  
  
And now: Onto the fic!!  
  
**PROLOGUE**  
  
They stood there, the survivors, not saying anything. What did you say after you saved the world? After you changed an age-old magical system? After you stopped an evil army? After your town imploded? After you had exhausted all the jokes? What did you say to the rest of them: your friends, your allies? What did you say to yourself? Buffy wasn't sure. By the sounds of silence that reached her ears: she knew that the others didn't know either. Silence was, after all, golden.  
  
"You haven't won yet," came a cold voice from behind them. A man, hooded and cloaked, stood behind them all, pointing at Buffy.  
  
The blonde raised her eyebrows. "Really? Cause I kinda think I have," she replied, sounding rather cocky. "And I kinda think all these people agree with me."  
  
"Well I _kinda_ think you're wrong," the man answered, amusement and irritation lacing his words. "You have angered my master. You have crossed the wrong wizard, my dear. The First was a leader, but my master... my master is much, much worse." He muttered something, pointing what Buffy could only call a stick at her. Before anyone could react, there was a bright light, and Buffy was gone. Just gone. With an evil cackle, the man left, a small 'pop' resounding in the still air.  
  
Faith was the first person to find her voice. "Fuck," she said decisively. She seemed torn. Every bone in her body, every fibre of her being screamed out KILL SOMETHING! She was sure she wasn't the only one - there was a bus-ful of new slayers who shared the same instincts. The only problem was, there was nothing to kill.  
  
Willow's eyes teared up as she looked away from a hastily-drawn world map in the dirt. When she spoke, she sounded utterly broken. "Guys, I can't locate her," she said in barely more than a whisper. "She's gone. After all that... she's gone."

* * *

Buffy groaned, holding her head. The last thing she remembered was that blinding flash, and feeling like she was being sucked out of her body. Opening her eyes, she jumped. A creature that she could only classify as a demon was staring down at her, obviously perturbed. She didn't even stop to realize that her slayer-senses weren't reacting to the thing (as she could only call it); she only cast about for a weapon.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about Buckbeak," came a voice. "He's just startled to see you. In fact, that makes two of us."  
  
Buffy looked into the face of an older man, drawn and weathered; he'd been through a lot. His long black hair hung limply to about his shoulders in complete disarray. The only real spark of life in him at all were his eyes: they stared at Buffy with an oddly lively mixture of caution, confusion, and amusement.  
  
"Sirius Black," he introduced himself, handing Buffy a bucket of water. "Here."  
  
"Buffy Summers," she replied, taking the bucket. She dropped it as soon as she caught sight of her reflection. It had only been a glimpse, but there was no mistaking it.  
  
She was 17 again. 


	2. Life At Grimmauld Place

Chapter 1 - Life at Grimmauld Place 

Buffy held her feet to her chest, sitting by an armchair by a not-quite-roaring fire. Her keen slayer ears picked up every hushed word, every whispered phrase behind the door. Sirius, the man she had simply appeared before, seemed to have taken it upon himself to protect her. He had brought her to his house (she loathed to call it a home) and that's when the trouble started. They knew nothing about her, not a thing. She understood their caution, but at the same time, she was frustrated. She wanted them to trust her. That didn't seem likely any time soon. 

"But Sirius who _is_ she?" asked a woman: Buffy recognized the voice of Molly Weasley. 

"She's Buffy Summers, a scared 17 year old, that's who she is," he replied in a low growl. 

"But a _muggle_?" came another accusing voice. Mad-Eye Moody. "She doesn't know the first thing about us." 

"Then she's obviously not working for You-Know-Who," Sirius defended. "She's got that going for her." 

"I wouldn't be so sure," another man - Lupin - replied thoughtfully. "Perhaps she's fooling us." 

"You didn't see the look in her eyes, when she saw magic - real magic," Sirius replied, just as thoughtfully. "She'd have to be a damned good actor to pull that off." 

"What do you mean, real magic?" the voice of Tonks questioned, sounding intrigued. 

"It's complicated," Sirius replied, sighing. "But one of her friends is a wicca." 

Buffy caught the instant hush. It seemed that wicca wasn't as common as she thought. Willow had always been able to find friends, and there was the coven even, full of wiccans. She had thought that there were far more common than wizards, but that, it seemed was the wrong assumption. 

"True wiccans are very rare," Arthur Weasley put in. "Are you sure?" 

"Well obviously I'm not _sure_," Sirius replied. "But I believe her." 

"Oh, where are her parents?" Molly cut in, changing the subject. Her motherly instincts seemed to have kicked in. 

"I don't have any," Buffy said out loud, still sitting by the fire. The door swung open and a head popped out. "Yea, I heard," Buffy said, not turning to look. "I've got really good ears." 

"Apparently," came the gruff reply of Mad-Eye Moody. "There are charms on the door." 

Buffy shrugged and looked over, her eyes blank. "Look, if you want me to leave, just say it. I mean, we're in London right? Maybe there's a surviving watcher I can room with," she added in a low mutter, not expecting anyone to hear. 

"A watcher?" Moody repeated, rasing his eyebrows. Buffy looked over sharply, and he said, "I have good ears too." 

"Apparently," Buffy replied, suppressing a grin. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the Order (as Buffy had learned they were called) had all reacted to the term 'watcher'. They knew very well what kind of person would know about watchers. Either she was a watcher herself, or she was something else. Someone else. Someone who they knew they shouldn't offend. If she knew about watchers, she more than likely was- 

"The Slayer," Buffy confirmed, walking into the room. The hushed whispers stopped. "Yea, ok, you caught me. I didn't expect Moody to catch that last bit. Please, please, keep this on the down low, ok? Some big bad cursed me here, and he probably thinks I'm gone, so I don't want it all over that I'm here, k?" 

"Why are you staying?" Kingsley questioned, looking oddly curious. 

Buffy looked imploringly from one person to the next. "I know I should probably be clicking my heels and saying 'there's no place like home, there's no place like home' but I got a feeling. I already miss my friends, but I need to be here. And I know that my friends can manage without me. Please, just give me a chance, and I'll help you out, and you'll never have a vampire issue again, I promise." 

Sirius grinned and muttered sidelong to Lupin, "Told you we could trust her." 

Moody looked almost deflated as he looked around at the members of the Order, all of whom gave him a slight nod. "Well, Buffy Summers," he said, sounding exhausted already. "Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix." 

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "It was that simple? Cool." 

--- 

That night, Buffy was restless. She tried her hardest to sleep, but it was no use. She couldn't do it. Call it Slayer tendencies, but Buffy wanted to fight, and she wanted it now. Looking around her room, she sighed: not so much as a cross, and definitely no stake. She would have to do this the old school way, she decided. Creeping out of her room, she walked quietly down to the kitchen and opened a drawer. Not what she wanted. Opening another one, she grinned: found the knives. She took one out and crept into the sitting room she'd been in before. A few logs were piled close to the fireplace, which was now not on use. Picking one up, Buffy began the task of carving a stake. 

An hour later, she was on the streets of London, careful to remember each turn she took, not wanting to get lost in the unfamiliar territory. The last thing she needed was to lose her way. Feeling a slight prickling at the base of her spine, she grinned. Things were getting started. Walking between two buildings, she took a deep breath. She could already feel the familiar adrenaline pumping through her veins. As the last of the street lamp's light faded away in the alley, Buffy stopped and turned around. There were two of them, both burly men. They hadn't vamped out yet, but she knew it was coming. She had this act down to a tee. 

"Uh, hi guys," she said, sounding nervous. "I, uh, lost my way. Could you help me?" 

They looked at each other and grinned. An easy meal: or so they thought. Buffy had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. After only a second, they both looked back at her. Their faces changed, contorted to the demon within. Ridges covered their brow, and fangs easily protruded from their lips. They were officially ready to fight. 

"Oh, we'll help you," one said, lunging at her. Buffy whipped a steak out of her pants and grinned. He ploughed right into her, and she wasted no time in rolling him over and shoving a stake in his chest. 

His friend was shocked. "What... what the hell was that?!" he spluttered. 

"That," Buffy replied, advancing on him with a wicked grin, "was me kicking his vamp ass. But hey, don't feel bad about losing. Lots of vampires lose to the slayer." 

His eyes widened. "The Slay-" But he didn't get any further before he exploded into dust. Buffy frowned, as her stake disintegrated in her hands. She had hoped to get a bit more a fight from the London Nightlife. Sighing, she brushed off her clothes and moved on. 

As she exited the alleyway, she didn't notice the large black dog trailing behind her. 

--- 

A few hours later, a slightly more bruised Buffy walked through the door to number 12 Grimmauld Place. She winced slightly as she sat down on a chair to tend to her battle wounds, but forgot about them in a second. A large dog walked in after her, looking at her curiously. 

"Oh crap," Buffy muttered. "Uh, hey there boy," she said nervously. "You uh, you gotta go home now. Go, shoo. Please go home boy. Sirius'll kill me if he knew I let strange animals into the house." 

Turned out that wasn't the issue. The dog changed slowly back into a human, and Buffy recognized Sirius before her. "Really, I doubt he'll _kill_ you," he said, sounding rather amused. "He'd leave that to the vampires." 

"How long were you following me?" Buffy asked, rubbing her eyes. She hadn't expected an audience. 

"Since you left," he replied. "I wanted to make sure you were alright. Plus, you know, very few wizards have really seen a Slayer in action." He paused, looking at her. "Do you always go looking for them?" 

Buffy just shrugged. "They don't come looking for me," she replied. "Well, some of them do, but those are just the idiots. Like roaches to an exterminator, right?" 

Sirius didn't quite get the muggle reference but nodded anyways. "Right," he said, sounding unsure. 

Buffy picked up after a moment. "Sorry," she said offhandedly. "Non-magic... uhhh... muffle?" 

"Muggle," Sirius replied, amused. "The term is muggle." 

"Right, muggle," Buffy repeated. "Look at me, magic-lingo Buffy." 

Sirius sat down beside her, looking at the bruises on her arms. "I could heal those for you, if you'd like," he said. 

Buffy shook her head. "Nah, s'ok," she replied. "They'll all be gone in the morning." 

"Even that one?" Sirius asked, pointing to a nasty-looking cut down her left arm. 

Buffy looked at it for a second. "Even that one," she agreed. She grinned, stifling a yawn. "That's my cue to go to sleep," she muttered. 

Sirius nodded. "I should probably sleep a bit myself," he muttered. He put a hand on Buffy's shoulder, an almost fatherly affection coming over him. "Sleep well," he said. 

"Will do," Buffy replied, standing up and walking towards her room. She thought for a moment to herself, about how long it had been since her father had told her to sleep well. And yet, here she was, in a strange house, with a man she'd known for all of a week, and he was acting like a father. She smiled to herself slightly, climbing into bed. It felt good. 

--- 

Another week later, and Buffy was standing in the kitchen of number 12 Grimmauld Place, wishing desperately that she had a pen. Unfortunately, her prayers were not answered, and she was left to scribble out her message in a quill and ink. She thanked every god she knew of that she wasn't left-handed. 

_Dear Angel, _

I'm sorry to just write to you like this, but I've been trying to find the others for two weeks, and I just don't know where they are. I figured maybe you would be able to get a hold of them, or something, let them know I'm ok. I don't know what happened on their end, but I ended up in England, with this (you won't believe it!) wizard. That's right, wizard. Bigger shock: I'm 17 again. Really gave me the wiggins. But I'm gonna stay here for a while. Is Dawn alright? Oh, please, please_ tell me where I can find some good weapons in London. Please. _

Love always,  
Buffy 

Smiling sadly to herself, Buffy contemplated scratching out the last two lines, but sighed and left it. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about Angel, especially after their conversation the last time she saw him. She only wanted to get a message out to the others, to let them know that she was safe and (relatively) unharmed. 

Tying a message to the waiting owl's leg, Buffy sent him off. She had been sceptical about owl-post when she had first experienced it, but it turned out it was a lot more reliable than normal mail. Things weren't lost in the mail, as was common with 'muggle post' and it took about the same time as snail-mail. She missed email though, knowing that she could have sent a message to Willow in a snap with it. As it was, she made do. 

"Buffy?" Sirius called from the other room. The high-pitched shrieking she heard alerted her that he was having trouble with Kreacher again. Buffy glowered: no matter what the rest of them said, that house-elf was trouble, and Buffy knew trouble when she saw it. Wanting nothing more than the pummel the creature, Buffy sighed and walked into the other room. 

"Yea?" she said, leaning on the door frame. Sirius was trying to wrestle a vase from Kreacher's bony little hands. 

"A little help please?" 

In under a second, Kreacher was hefted into the air, and the vase taken forcibly from his grip. He glared at Sirius, but couldn't meet Buffy's eye. She seemed to be the one human in the house that he was truly afraid of, after their first meeting. Buffy had come quite close to skewering him with a fire-poker. He decided not to press his luck with her, which was just as well for the blonde. 

"Am I done?" she questioned, not putting Kreacher down. 

Sirius nodded, smirked. "You're done," he replied. "Put him down." 

Buffy complied and dropped the house-elf on the floor. He landed in a heap and took a moment before standing up and scampering off. Buffy glared after him. 

"He's trouble," she muttered. 

"He's just used to my mother," Sirius replied, rolling his eyes. "He's harmless, really." 

"Funny," Buffy replied, looked seriously over at him. "That's what vampires say about me sometimes." 

There was silence for a moment, Sirius looking straight back at Buffy. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. "Duly noted," he muttered, feeling a bit put out that a seventeen-year-old could stare him down. 

Buffy grinned, loving his reaction. She turned to go, but stopped when Sirius called her back. She turned, raising her eyebrows. 

"Moody's out back, he wants to see you. Says he's got a test." 

"Should I be worried?" she asked, already walking towards the back. 

"Maybe a little bit," Sirius replied, grinning. 

Buffy laughed a bit to herself, walking through the house. When she reached the back, she paused, wondering why on earth Moody would want to test her. They had all taken turns shadowing the girl when she patrolled (much to Buffy's annoyance) and knew full well that she could take care of herself. What made him doubt that now? Deciding that there was no other way than to just go see, Buffy opened the door and walked outside. 

Moody stood there, looking intently at a broom lying on the ground, seeming to be trying to make up his mind about something. Finally, he nodded to himself and looked up to Buffy's widened eyes. 

"If you think I'm your cleaning lady, forget it," she said, already backing up. 

Moody chuckled, a sound that sounded almost scary to Buffy's ears. "No no, this broom is not for sweeping," he said. "I would only like to test something. Come here child." 

Buffy obeyed, curious now. Moody instructed her to stand beside the broom and hold her hand out, which she did. She raised her eyebrows. 

"Ok, now what?" 

"Say up," Moody grunted, staring intently at the broom. 

Buffy shrugged, mostly to herself as Moody's eyes didn't stray from the broom. "Up!" she said forcefully. She almost jumped when the broom jumped up into her hand. 

Moody looked up at her grinning. "Very interesting," he said. "You, my dear Slayer, are a witch." 

Buffy took a moment to do a very accurate impression of a gold fish. When she finally regained control over her gaping mouth, the only word that she could come up with was "WHAT?!" 

--- 

Oh, you knew it would happen eventually! I just couldn't resist. And since the only wandless magic (besides potions, which really isn't so much magic as magic_al_) is the broom thing, I figured it was the way to go. Review please.


	3. A Proposition

OK! Quick update, but that's only because I already had the chapter written (I'm feeling incredibly inspired). Please don't expect other chapters this soon XD. (random 'woo' goes here) I got some reviews, and some I just have to reply to, so here goes! 

Allen Pitt - No, she didn't go back in time, because of some things I have planned for later. Willow's failing locate spell will be explained later on. And no one said it was his _plan_, per se, that's just what _happened_. Good underlings are hard to find remember evil smirk 

Fanfic-Frankie (aka Jessy) - my lips are sealed accepts trophy 

Foxy-Nymph - the jury is out on the pairs thing... I'm not really sure quite yet... we'll see what happens. 

And as for everyone else: thank you very much for reviewing and liking the fic! I love you all! Onto the fic! 

--- 

Chapter 2 - A Proposition 

The next few days seemed to go in slow motion for Buffy. Everyone at the house seemed more than excited to hear the results of Moody's little experiment: everyone except Buffy. She was a little scared, after seeing what had happened to Willow when magic got involved, and flatly refused to believe that she was a witch. She tested the broom several other times, trying to convince herself that it was just a fluke, but it worked every time. In her need to blow of steam, she went patrolling several times a night. 

She was sitting in her room now, reading a book she had found on the legend and history of vampires (most of which was complete bull, she found, but amusing nonetheless). She looked up sharply when someone knocked on her door. 

"Buffy?" came Sirius' voice, muffled by the wood door. 

"It's open," Buffy replied, shutting the book. 

"Actually, it was closed," Sirius joked, stepping into the room. 

Buffy threw a pillow at him. "You know what I mean," she replied. 

"Course I do," he replied, grinning. "But why can't you just say 'come in' like normal people?" 

"Because that's all a vampire needs to enter your home," Buffy replied seriously. "I lived on a hellmouth, Sirius. You pick up habits that you never forget." 

He nodded. "Right, well, there's someone in the kitchen that you should meet. We all need to have a nice long talk." 

"If this is about what I _think_ it's about," Buffy said, turning to face him. "Then I don't want to talk." 

Sirius sighed. "Just come downstairs and hear us out, ok?" he requested. "For me?" 

Buffy smirked, throwing another pillow at him. "Fine, but just because you're feeding me." 

"Actually," he said, pretending to be thoughtful. "I'm pretty sure it's Molly who's feeding you, so you might want to come down for _her_." 

Buffy grinned, walking out of the room with Sirius. "Right," she replied. "Thanks for the tip." 

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Buffy was already feeling weird vibes. Not evil-demon vibes, just weird. It made her slightly uneasy, and just a tad more humble than she usually was. Whoever Sirius wanted her to meet, she was fully prepared to make a good first impression. 

Buffy paused outside the door to the kitchen and took a deep breath, earning a look from Sirius. He had never seen Buffy nervous, though, in all honesty, he had only known her for just over two weeks. He raised his eyebrows, and Buffy nodded. She was ready. Taking one last look to make sure she was ok, Sirius pushed open the door and held it for her to enter. 

"Professor Dumbledore," he said proudly. "Meet Buffy Summers." 

Buffy smiled and held out her hand to the old wizard in front of her. His long white beard made her immediately think of every stereotype she'd ever heard and seen about wizards, and she allowed herself a wide smile. When he shook her hand, she could feel the warmth. His eyes sparkled behind half-moon spectacles. Buffy knew that, old or not, this man was a powerful, wonderful wizard. 

"Nice to meet you," she said. 

"The pleasure is mine," Dumbledore replied, smiling himself. "Please, sit," he said. Buffy looked over as a chair slid out from under the table. 

She sat down, and launched straight into her speech of denial. "Look, I think I know what these guys have been telling you, and I know that it would seem like a convincing argument, but I assure that I am not a-" 

"Miss Summers," Dumbledore interrupted, sounding amused. She shut up immediately, looking sorry. Dumbledore smiled. "I can assure you, miss Summers, that you _are_ in fact, a witch, and that the only reason you weren't informed of this fact when you were young enough to start school is due to the fact that you are a slayer." 

"You don't let slayers into your schools?" Buffy questioned, sounding insulted. 

Dumbledore laughed and shook his head. "Dear Lord, no child. We would be honoured to train a slayer. Unfortunately, the _council_ doesn't allow slayers into our schools." 

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "They what? Oh, fuck the council," she said without thinking. Her hand flew over her mouth and her eyes went wide. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to swear. Really, really sorry about that." 

Sirius looked almost proud as he looked over at Lupin, who was stifling a laugh. Buffy sank a bit lower into her chair, sheepishly awaiting Dumbledore's next words. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, she found, but his eyes danced in a way that made her feel like she hadn't offended him all that much. 

"Perhaps we could speak in private?" Dumbledore suggested, looking at the Order. They knew that it wasn't really a request, so much as a command. They filed out, one by one, looking disappointed to miss this: Buffy couldn't imagine why. Sending her one last look, Sirius closed the kitchen door. 

"Now, miss Summers," Dumbledore began, but Buffy held up a hand. 

"Buffy," she interjected. "Call me Buffy." 

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well," he said. "Buffy. I have been watching your exploits for quite some time now," he revealed. "Ever since you were called, in fact. Your first watcher, Merrick, was a close friend of mine, and I took it upon myself to keep an eye on you after his death." 

Buffy nodded and swallowed. It had been a long time since she had really thought about Merrick, the man who changed her life forever. At first, she had hated him, but afterwards, after she had gotten to know him, she had grown close. She didn't want to think about his death. 

"When you quit the council," Dumbledore continued, knowing that she didn't want to dwell on it, "you were, unfortunately, over the age of children in schools, and we couldn't train you in magic. But I kept watching you, Miss Summers. I know of your recent exploits, and yes, even though you neglected to mention it to the rest of the order, I know your true age." 

Buffy looked up and saw his eyes sparkling. She swallowed, knowing and dreading what was going to come up. Sirius had told her a lot about Hogwarts, and though she wanted to see it, to see a real castle, she wasn't sure if she was ready for what she knew Dumbledore would say. 

"The Order and I have discussed it quite thoroughly," Dumbledore said, not wasting time. "And we have decided that your power and expertise could be a great help to protecting Harry. Miss Summers, Buffy, we would very much like for you to enrol at Hogwarts in your seventh year." 

Buffy groaned. "How'd I know you were gonna say that?" she muttered darkly. "Look, sir, I really mean no disrespect but I do _not_ want to get involved with magic, ok? It's dangerous! I mean, come on, if you've been watching me, then you know about Willow. I don't want that to happen! I don't want to be... dangerous." 

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Good gracious, child, is that what this is all about?" he questioned. After a moment, he let out a chuckle. "Oh my dear, dear child. You have completely misunderstood. Your friend Willow is a _wicca_, which is a completely different branch of magic. I assure you, witchcraft is quite safe for you." 

"So, basically, I've been afraid of nothing?" Buffy said, sounding irritated. "Oh, perfect. They all think I'm a complete muggle who just can't accept the fact that she's magic, and I really had no point in worrying in the first place. Just perfect." 

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Then, do you accept the offer to come to Hogwarts?" 

"Hell ya," Buffy replied firmly. "I mean, yes, yes of course." 

--- 

"Ok, remind me _again_ why I chose to go to Hogwarts?" Buffy growled from the change room. Mrs. Weasley waited outside, and grinned at the large black dog beside her. They stood in Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions, and Buffy was busy trying on the Hogwarts uniform. From the second she heard about it, she was less than pleased. 

"It's really not that bad dear," Mrs. Weasley said gently. "Just come out and let us see." 

Buffy groaned and stepped out of the changing room, looking completely defeated. The kilt was rolled, Mrs. Weasley could see, a bit higher than it should have been, and the shirt was unbuttoned at the top and not tucked in. The tie was held in Buffy's hand. When she stepped out, the seventeen-year-old swore she heard the dog snort. 

"Oh shut up," she said, glaring. "I don't see _you_ in a uniform." 

Molly stifled a laugh and ushered Buffy back into the fitting room. In a few moments, they had payed for the uniform and were out of the store. It had been charged to Sirius' account at Gringotts, despite Buffy's protests. Upon learning that she had no money at all, Sirius had agreed to pay for all her things. From that point on, Buffy had done a lot more work at number 12 Grimmauld place. 

"Where to next?" Buffy questioned, holding the parcel in her hands and a bag of books in the other. In response, Sirius bounded off to another shop and barked. Buffy raised her eyebrows. "An owl? Do I really need an owl? I mean, I don't want you spending all this money on me and..." 

Sirius barked again, rather firmly Buffy thought. He was starting to attract attention, and both Buffy and Molly sighed. 

"Fine," Molly said, "we'll go look at the owls." 

They walked into the shop and Buffy had to rub her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She was able to do so much quicker than most, but it still took a second. She drew in a breath, looking around. Hundreds of owls looked back at her, just staring silently. She was sure she had heard them squawking loudly only moments before, yet here they were, not a sound among them. Buffy walked up and down the rows of owls, trying to find one she liked (but not too expensive, as she knew the money was coming out of Sirius' pocket). Finally she stopped and pointed. 

"That one," she said firmly. The owl was all black, except for the pale white feathers on his face. Looking at him, she could see his powerful wings, and knew that he could kill his prey in seconds. When her finger touched the cage, he startled her and pressed his head against it. Buffy watched him for a moment longer. "That one," she said again, quieter. 

"What are you going to name him dear?" Molly asked as they exited the store a few minutes later. 

"Angel," Buffy replied decisively. "I'm going to call him Angel." 

"Angel?" Molly repeated, a bit sceptical. "Dear, he _is_ a _male_ owl." 

Buffy nodded and grinned. "I know. But he reminds me of someone I know. Someone named Angel." 

"Right then. I suppose all we have left to find is your wand." 

Buffy nodded, starting to feel unnaturally nervous. This was it, the moment of truth. This was when she found out, beyond any doubt, whether or not she was really a witch. This was the moment that it all came down to. She didn't want to face it alone, and was glad Sirius was there. As much as she knew Molly cared, Buffy felt an inexplicable connection to the large black dog. She couldn't explain it, but she felt protected. He was like another version of Giles, a much cooler and less exasperated version of Giles, she decided, which brought a grin to her face. 

They stopped outside the store and Buffy took a deep breath. Looking over at Molly, she nodded and opened the door. 

"Welcome to Ollivanders," came a voice from behind the counter. Buffy swivelled sharply to see an old (slightly creepy) man smiling at her. "Dumbledore informed me you would be arriving, Miss Summers." 

Buffy nodded. "Uh, yea..." she replied. "I'm uh... here for a wand?" 

Mr. Ollivander smiled. "They all are my dear. Now, which is your wand arm?" 

"Right?" Buffy replied, not overly sure but knowing that she used her right hand a whole lot more. 

Mr. Ollivander merely nodded and flicked his wand. In a second, Buffy was surrounded by tape measurers and various instruments, taking measurements she couldn't dream of uses for. Finally, Mr. Ollivander stepped back and the tape measurers crumpled to the floor. He handed Buffy a long thin box with a wand inside. She took it out and looked at him expectantly. 

"Well, give it a wave," Molly urged. 

Buffy complied and Mr. Ollivander snatched the wand back. Buffy's heart plummeted. That was it, she thought. She wasn't really a witch: the wand had proven it. But before she could really sink into a depression about it, another wand was put in front of her face. 

"Try this one," Mr. Ollivander urged. "11 inches, made of ebony. Dragon heartstring as the core." 

Buffy nodded, taking it. And she knew it was for her as soon as her fingers gripped the black wood. She raised it above her head, and in an instant, a dark cloud descended upon the room. The lights went dim all around, until a blinding flash from Buffy's wand illuminated it all for a second. In a moment, it was over, and Buffy was breathing rather raggedly, sitting in a heap on the ground. She stood up quickly, getting odd looks from Mrs. Weasley and being fussed over by Sirius. 

"Excellent," Mr. Ollivander muttered. "Most excellent. Incredible creature, the dragon," he said conversationally. "Brutally strong, yet at the heart, completely good. Incredible creatures." 

The parallel wasn't lost on Buffy. She nodded and allowed him to put the wand back in a box. After he had rung it up, they handed him the money and walked out of the store. Buffy chanced one look back at him, but he was gone among the wands again, seemingly unaffected by what had happened. In fact, Buffy was quite sure that she was the only one who was shaken, and for her very own reasons. But one thing was certain: she was going to Hogwarts at the end of the summer, and nothing could stop her. 

--- 

weeeeee... yes, something more than darkness happened there, but you wont find out till next chapter. review please!


	4. Not Alone

And I have updated! Yay me!

And to answer a few reviews:

Allen Pitt - my goodness you are going to keep me on my toes, aren't you? ; But, fortunately for me, I thought about that before hand, and the answer will appear in -drumroll- the next chapter! So no worries my friend! The watcher salaries bothered me too, but I try not to dwell on it, and remind myself that it IS just a TV show 

spacecatdet - I'll prolly bring the Scoobies in eventually, and Harry... well, we'll just have to see how he reacts...

Moonbunny77 - she didn't go back in time, she was just turned 17 (though she remembers that she's 22, she is physically and mentally 17). And it was only her because the spell hit only her.

Everyone else: Thanks for the reviews, they keep me going!

and onto the writing! I apologize in advance for any grammatical or spelling errors that I missed!

---

Chapter 3 - Not Alone.

Buffy couldn't sleep. Try as she might, she couldn't manage it, and this time, it wasn't from pent-up slayer energies. This time, it was something very different. Try as she might, she couldn't get it out of her head; the vision at Ollivanders.

_Buffy walked through the halls, straining her ears. There was something out there. Pain. Screaming. She fell, holding her head. Darkness. Evil. She tried to stand, but couldn't. Something pushed down on her from above. Screaming. Darkness. She tried to fight it, tried to go on, but it was impossible. Fear. Anger. It was too much. She was running now, through hall she didn't know, corridors she'd never seen. She wrenched open a door and saw a flash of red sparks. Nothing. Alone._

Buffy held her head, sitting straight up, trying with all her might to rid herself of the vision. She knew it meant something, but exactly what, she couldn't begin to imagine. Things just didn't make sense for her like that, and she was starting to get that they never would. Not ever.

Sighing angrily to herself, she climbed out of bed and pulled on her clothes. Sirius had ordered some for her a week before, as she only had one pair. She grinned to herself, almost sadly. Her own father didn't even know she was gone, and here was another man, a man who had so much of his own to deal with, worrying about the fact that she only had one real change of clothes. It boggled her mind.

She crept silently through the halls, using her slayer stealth when she neared the painting of Sirius' mother. The inhabitants of the house had accepted that she was out after dark, but the last thing she needed was to wake them all up with a screaming portrait. When she was safely past, she leapt over the edge of the staircase and landed, knees bent, like a cat. She was almost at the door when a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"That was cute," Sirius said. "I was wondering when you'd come out."

Buffy groaned. "Sirius," she whined, careful to keep her voice low. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Hey, I'm just there for the show," Sirius defended, hands up in surrender.

Buffy gave him a look. "Uh huh. And that's why you turned into a dog and tried to tear a vampire's throat out last Tuesday?"

Sirius shrugged a bit sheepishly. "Alright, so I worry about you," he said. "But hey, if you were in my position, you'd be a bit protective too, alright?"

Buffy almost growled, stalking out the door. Sirius, already a dog, followed her out. She stalked for a while through the streets of London, deliberately ignoring him a staking more than her fair-share of vampires, always thinking about the vision. Alone. Eventually, she let out an exasperated sigh, turning sharply down a side-alley and waited.

"I do not need you looking over my shoulder all the time!" Buffy said angrily as he appeared.

"You're seventeen, Buffy," he shot back, in human form again. "You can't do this on your own."

"I've been doing this on my own for a long time now!"

"You don't know what a long time is!"

"Try eight years, genius!"

"Eight years?" Sirius repeated, looking shocked. "But that would mean you were-"

"Fifteen, Sirius. I was fifteen, alright?" Buffy cried, going into near hysterics on the street. "Sending me here wasn't the only effect of that spell. I'm 22 years old, at least, that's what I know. Everything about me is seventeen. Hell, I even _feel_ like a rebellious teenager. But I _know_ that I'm 22. I remember 22 years of my life. Everything. Yea, sure, I look young, and yea, I'm scared. And I know that you worry, and I worry too, but there's nothing you can do. You _can't help me_, Sirius. Because I'm alone in this one," her voice quieted, and she looked down, not wanting him to see the tear rolling down her cheek. Barely above a whisper, she finished, "In the end, I'm always alone."

"You're not alone," Sirius replied quietly. "Not here, not now. Not ever. Dumbledore told us what you did, Buffy. He told us about the slayers. And if that isn't enough for you, then you have to believe that there are people out there who are behind you. Your friends, the Order. Me."

Buffy let out a short, hollow laugh. "You think it helps? To know that you're putting people in danger? You have no idea how dangerous it is. Dumbledore told you what I did? Did he tell you everything? Did he give you a list of carnage? Tell you how many of those girls died? How many of my friends died? You just don't get it, do you?"

"I get what it is to have people's deaths on your hands," Sirius replied quietly. "And unlike you, it actually was my fault, and not just me feeling sorry for myself."

"Excuse me?"

"That's right, I said it. You've spent the last eight years fighting things like this, and yea, people die, but it was never _your fault_. Things I did, deliberate choices I made, got people killed. My best friends died because of a dumb decision I made, so don't tell me that I don't get it!"

Buffy was stunned. He had never told her that. In fact, thinking about it, she realized now that he hadn't told her much about his past. She knew a few things, sure, but, in the grande scheme of things, she knew nothing. Nothing at all. And she, in turn, hadn't exactly been forthcoming with the details of her own life either. And here they stood, staring each other in the face, neither one willing to back down. Neither one willing to admit that maybe, just maybe, the other was right.

And that's when it hit. From behind, actually. Buffy stumbled over, shocked that a vampire had slipped past her radar. When she turned to fight, she was caught in the face again, and grabbed from behind. She could hear mad barking behind her, and knew that Sirius was a dog once more. In a flurry of fur, the vampire in front of her was knocked over, every inch of him being torn apart by the huge black beast. Taking that as her cue, Buffy slammed her head back into the vampire holding her. Stunned, the vampire let go, and Buffy got her first real glimpse of her attacker. It meant nothing to her, of course, before she slammed her stake into his chest. Looking back, she saw that a human-once-more Sirius had done the same, using his wand as a stake.

"Take it out!" Buffy commanded, worried for a second that the wand would disintegrate with the vampire. Sirius did as he was told, and the vampire beneath him was dust.

There was silence for a while after that. Finally, Buffy held out a hand to help Sirius up, but her plan backfired. She gave in to all her pent up anger and frustration, letting herself become the seventeen-year-old girl she felt like. She hit the ground, her tears finally coming out. Sirius, unsure of what else to do, just sat there with her, allowing her to cry on his shoulder. Buffy, in turn, allowed herself to sob brokenly on the streets of London, in the arms of a man she barely knew.

---

"You what?" Sirius hissed 40 minutes later. They were back at number 12 Grimmauld place, sipping hot chocolate. Buffy was comfortably settled into her new pyjamas, curled up in an armchair and grinning. They were having a real talk, upon realizing that, as close as they felt, they knew nothing about the other. Buffy wanted to change that.

"Just don't tell Dumbledore," she said slyly.

Sirius laughed. "I don't think you have to worry there. He doesn't strike me as the type to turn into a large snake demon."

"Neither would the mayor," Buffy replied, suppressing a snort of laughter. "He had germ issues. Real wack-job."

Sirius grinned. "I can see you admired him," he joked. "Well, not need to worry, Dumbledore's been watching you right? He knows what you did."

Buffy scrunched up her face. "You have no idea how much of a stalker you made him sound like," she said. "And that's creepy."

Sirius laughed once more. "So that's what it takes to creep out a slayer then, eh? Forget powerful demons and death threats - old stalker men are the way to go."

Buffy threw a pillow at him, nearly spilling his hot chocolate. "Ew," she said decisively, laughing nonetheless. It _was_ rather ironic. "Ok, your turn."

Sirius thought for a moment. "My greatest achievement in school huh? It'd have to be the Marauder's Map."

"The _what's_ map?"

Sirius grinned. "The Marauder's map. Made by me and my best mates at Hogwarts, it's got everything in the castle, and even shows where all the people in the castle are. Dead useful. Harry's got it now I believe."

Buffy grinned, not missing the look he got when he talked about Harry. "Tell me about Harry," she said. "I mean, all I've really got out of anyone is 'the boy who lived' and shit, but no one's told me about _Harry_."

"He defeated the most powerful dark wizard of our time," Sirius replied, his voice going low once more. "More than once! But I think you'll like him. He's strong, brave, loyal. And he knows how to get in trouble," he added, proud. "And deep down, he's just a kid, just a scared kid. And he tries to be brave, and he tries to do it alone, but in the end, he's just a kid."

"Kinda like someone else," Buffy murmured, taking another sip of her hot chocolate.

"Yea," Sirius replied, smiling slightly. "Just kinda."

There was silence for a moment, neither sure what to say. A beat, and then:

"My sister's an inter-dimensional ball of energy," Buffy said casually.

Sirius grinned. "And the adventure never ends."

---

It was late the next morning when Buffy was awakened by a sharp tapping on the windowsill. She rubbed her eyes gingerly, trying to figure out just what was going on. Finding herself still in the armchair by a now-dead fire, she stood up. Her legs felt odd after being curled up the whole night, but it took her only a second to get over that. What was really bothering her was the taping at the window. She opened it and ducked as an owl flew at her head. It landed on the back of the chair she had just vacated and stuck out a leg. Buffy could see the letter tied there and removed it.

"Who's it for?" asked Sirius, who was waking up from his spot on the couch.

"Me," Buffy replied, opening the envelope.

"Who's it from?" was Sirius' next question.

Buffy's eyes went straight to the end, and she smiled. "Angel," she replied.

"Angel? The guy you named your owl after? What's his story anyways?"

"Yea, that Angel. I might tell you about him later. Now hush, I'm reading."

_Dear Buffy,_

It's such a relief to hear from you! We thought you were dead, not 17! Willow tried a locator spell as soon as you disappeared, but she couldn't find you. I got an email from her yesterday saying it was because she was looking for 23-year-old you, and not seventeen-year-old you. If you care, anyways. God Buffy, don't do things like that... Sorry this letter took so long, but I had to let the owl rest for a while. And before you start complaining, just remember that you sent him across an entire ocean! Dawn's perfectly fine. She's with Willow and Kennedy in Rome. Giles is actually in England (not sure specifically where), so maybe you'll see him sometime. Xander and Andrew went to Africa, and Faith set up a (you won't believe it) Slayer Training facility in India. Wow, a lot's been going on here too, I guess. I'm the head of Wolfram and Hart, which is - as you would say - 'wiggy'. And you might like to know that Spike is alive, although more like a ghost than he likes. He says hi (a lot more, actually, but I'm only writing down the 'hi' part). I've also let the others know that you're ok. At least, I hope you're still ok. Stay in touch, alright?

Love Always,  
Angel

Buffy didn't know exactly what to feel when she folded the letter back up. She was more than relieved to hear that everyone was alright, that went without saying. The news about Spike unnerved her quite a bit, though. And the line; second from the bottom. Part of her heart fluttered; part of it always would. She stared at it for a moment longer before gingerly folding it back up and smiling at Sirius.

"Well, you might like to know that all my friends are fine, and the world is not in any immediate danger," Buffy said.

"I think you like knowing that more than I do," Sirius replied knowingly.

Buffy smiled and nodded. "Yea," she said. "Yea I do."

Before any more could be said, there was a flood of noise from the front: a crowd of people just entered the house. Buffy looked at Sirius, almost in horror, then down at her pyjamas. Whoever was here, she didn't recognize their voices, and she did _not_ want strangers seeing her ready for bed. Definitely not. Sending at final glare at Sirius for not telling her anyone was coming, she rushed out and up to her room, thanking God for her Slayer speed.

"Who was that?" George asked as she disappeared.

"Pretty," Fred added.

"I'd say gorgeous," George replied.

Sirius shot them a look, coming into the front hall. "That was Buffy," he replied. "And I'd be careful if I were you. You might end up with a few more bruises than usual if you try and terrorize her."

The twins put on angelic faces as Ron shared a look with the brunette beside him. Hermione had arrived at the Burrow only a few days ago, with every intention of spending the rest of the summer there. How wrong she was. It was after she arrived that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley informed the children that they would be staying at number 12 Grimmauld place, the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. But she had failed to mention the extra guest.

A few minutes later, Buffy descended the stairs, looking what she considered to be far more presentable. Her blonde hair was neatly combed, and she was wearing a pair of leather pants and a deep red top. In retrospect, probably not the best outfit to wear around three teenage boys, but it was too late now. When she thought about it later, she would realize that she really was seventeen again: those Weasley twins weren't so bad. But for now, she just smiled nervously.

"Uh, hi," she managed, waving a small hand. "I'm Buffy."

"And American," Fred said happily to George, earning himself a smack from Mrs. Weasley. Buffy only laughed.

"I'm Hermione," the bushy brunette introduced, shooting glares at the sniggering twins.

"Ron," the smallest male redhead introduced. Buffy fought back a grin at his slightly-red ears. Poor kid was a little bit shy, it seemed.

"Ginny," the youngest girl said, smiling slightly.

"I'm Fred," said one twin, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"And I'm George," the other said, coming over to her other side.

Buffy laughed at the attention, but didn't have a lot of time to revel in it before Sirius forcibly removed the two boys from her shoulders. She did, however, laugh at the way the man was acting. Like a father, she thought to herself. Only her own father had never done this. He'd never been around to strike fear into the hearts of her boyfriends, or even potential boyfriends. He'd never been there to worry about her, to try and protect her. Buffy's smiled softened, as she zoned out, just staring at Sirius. The closest she had to a father, and she barely knew him.

Sirius was still wrestling with the twins when the door opened again. Everyone stopped as Dumbledore entered the room. He smiled in his typical way upon seeing Sirius with the twins, having a sneaking suspicion on what it was about. Everyone muttered their hellos, and he smiled back at them in greeting.

"Miss Granger," he said, obviously pleased. "So wonderful you could make it. I have a particular favour to ask you..."

---

cookies to whoever gets the favour... actually, no, cook_IE_, as in: the singular. I personally don't think it's that hard to figure out, and thus, it isn't worth the plural. So, a cookie to the figure-outers.

drop a review, please and hannon le! (_hannon le_ is elvish for thank you. I just haven't yet figured out how to say please in Sindarin...) 


	5. Not Alone part II

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! The cookie goes to Marie!!

Chapter 4 - Not Alone...

Hermione's head snapped up in confusion. "Me, Professor?" she questioned, just a tiny bit shocked.

"Yes," he replied, eyes still sparkling. "Miss Summers, or Buffy as you know her, will be attending Hogwarts at the end of the summer. I would like you to personally tutor her and prepare her for her seventh year."

Hermione furrowed her brow and nodded her assent, but before she could ask about it, Buffy put a hand on her shoulder. The younger girl jumped, having not noticed Buffy had come up behind her.

"We'll talk about it later," Buffy muttered quietly. Hermione only nodded.

Fred and George were back on Buffy the second that Sirius released them. "We're going into our seventh year as well," one said. Buffy found it impossible to tell them apart.

"We'll get you all settled in."

"Show you the school."

"And the teachers."

"And the best places for..." he paused, looking around slyly. "Things."

"That's enough out of you two," Sirius said, tearing them off Buffy again. The young girl only laughed at it all. Even Hermione and Ron had to admit, it was terribly funny to see Sirius acting like a father. They had always seen him as Harry's Godfather, James' best friend, the man who wanted to have a bit of fun. They had never seen him as the paternal type, and watching him act that way around Buffy was... interesting, to say the least.

---

Later that day, Buffy and Hermione were sitting in Buffy's room. The boys had gone to pay quidditch, and Mrs. Weasley had recruited Ginny for help in the kitchen, which gave the two older girls the bit of privacy that Buffy wanted. Buffy had been rather curious about quidditch (and Fred and George had been more than willing to teach her all about it, much to Sirius' dismay), but she had decided to talk with Hermione. She had wanted to for a while now.

Hermione sat on the bed, looking at Buffy expectantly. Buffy, in turn, stared right back. It almost made Hermione uncomfortable, the way Buffy was looking at her, sizing her up. Almost. But Hermione had a lot more confidence than she used to.

"Well?" she said finally, breaking the silence. "Are you going to tell me what's going on, or are you just going to stare at me?"

Buffy smirked. "I was wondering when you'd ask that," she replied boldly, pulling out some throwing knives from a drawer. She casually lobbed one at a target mounted on the far wall. Looking back at Hermione, she offered her a knife. "You know, I talk a lot more with some friendly competition."

Hermione hesitated for a moment, a bit uncomfortable. Not many people she knew would play darts with throwing knives. But at Buffy's insistent look, she accepted the knife and threw it at the target. About an inch from away from the bull's-eye.

"Again," Buffy said, handing her another knife.

Hermione shrugged and accepted. Buffy's own dagger was sticking out of the double-bull, almost mockingly. Testing the dagger's weight for a second, Hermione threw it at the target. It landed between Buffy's knife and her own, not quite hitting the bull yet. Buffy grinned, passing Hermione another dagger. It grouped with the other two.

Buffy walked over to the target, whistling low. "Not bad," she said admiringly. "Nice grouping."

"Thanks," Hermione said, sounding slightly unsure.

Buffy inspected the knives again, smirking to herself. She removed the dagger she had thrown, and stared at it for a moment, thinking. Then, out of nowhere, she swivelled and threw the dagger at Hermione. The younger girl reacted with pure instinct, her hand flying up to catch the handle of the knife. She looked shocked as she brought it down from the air.

"You threw a knife at my head!" she spluttered.

"And you caught it," Buffy countered smoothly.

"I don't think you understand," Hermione said, her voice rising a bit in pitch. "You threw a _knife_ at my _head!_"

Buffy nodded slowly. "Calm down alright? Now, I want you to hit that bull's-eye. I know you can!"

Hermione glared at the coolness and utter audacity of the girl in front of her. Who did she think she was? Just because she was two years older, it didn't mean she had the right to throw daggers as people. And that smirk. Hermione had known her for all of an hour and thirty minutes, and already she wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off Buffy's face.

It took Hermione a few seconds to realize that she had actually thrown the knife. She could only see her own three and Buffy's sticking out f the target. But then she remembered that Buffy's knife was the one she had just thrown, and it now sat on the edge of the bull's-eye.

"Good," Buffy said, grinning. "Very good."

Hermione sat down on the edge of Buffy's bed, still glaring. "So are you going to tell me what the hell that was all about, or will I have to guess?" she demanded sternly.

Buffy threw a smirk over her shoulder at her, staking all the knives out of the target. "Patience, my young padawan," she said, putting the knives back in the drawer.

Hermione smiled, despite her anger. "So you're a muggle then, Obi-wan?" she muttered.

Buffy's head snapped back to Hermione. "You know Star Wars?" she asked, barely daring to hope that someone might finally understand her.

"Muggle parents," Hermione replied, back in her angry personality. "But I think this little chat is supposed to be about you."

"We're getting there. All in good time," Buffy replied, sitting down. "Tell me about yourself. When did you notice this killer aim you got? And those reflexes - insane."

"I hardly see the point of-"

"_When?_"

"About a month ago."

Buffy grinned. "That's what I thought. Ok, story time. Into every generation, a chosen one is born. One girl in all the world with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires. To stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers."

"She is the slayer," Hermione finished, paling.

"You've heard the prophecy?" Buffy questioned, a bit surprised.

"I, um, I read it," Hermione replied, suddenly scared. "In a book, last year. We did a unit on vampires and-" she stopped, her entire demeanor changing. "Oh God I don't want to be a slayer. One dies, another is called. I don't want to die." She paused, ad her voice came out barely above a whisper, "I don't want to die alone."

Buffy felt sorry for the girl. She knew what it was like to have the weight of the world dropped onto your shoulders. To have the reality of fighting for your life and an early death thrust upon you. She knew what it was to die alone. But Hermione was lucky. She was not alone. Not now. Not ever.

"I've got some good news and some bad news," Buffy said slowly. "Bad news is, you're a slayer, and there's nothing we can do about that."

"And the good news?" Hermione dead-panned.

"I'm a slayer too," Buffy revealed. When Hermione's head snapped up to look at her, Buffy continued. "Earlier in the school year, shit started happening. The First Evil was trying desperately to cause havoc, awaken an army from the hellmouth, that sort of thing. It was even trying - and succeeding, I might add - to kill off all the potential slayers, and end the prophecy forever. It eventually came down to me, my friends, and a group of potentials. For a while, we didn't stand a chance, not even with Faith, the other slayer - I'll explain that one later. We knew that, if we wanted to beat this thing, we had to do something big. _Huge_. So Willow - quite possibly the most powerful wicca the world has ever seen - did a spell. We took a prophecy as old as time itself, a system of deaths and callings, and we kicked it right out the proverbial window. Not one slayer, a hundred, a thousand, I don't even know! Every girl who _can_ be a slayer, _is_ a slayer. And all this happened about a month ago. So, in summary, the good news is: yea, you're a slayer, but you sure as hell are _not_ alone."

"And you won?" Hermione asked, incredulous. "You won against the first evil?"

Buffy nodded. "We went down into the hellmouth as slayers, all of us, and we slaughtered an army. A whole big army." Buffy saddened. "We lost a lot of people though. Slayers, friends. It wasn't all roses. But we won. Damn it, we won."

There was silence for a while. Hermione was looking at her hands, and Buffy's gaze was sweeping across the floor. Neither could really think of what to say after a revelation like that. For Hermione, it was still sinking in that she was a slayer, a chosen one. For Buffy, it was still sinking in that she had actually won.

"So, um, about that tutoring thing..."

"Yea, I guess you want a story there too, huh?"

"It would help."

---

It was evening now, and the occupants of the house were all seated around the dinner table, enjoying Mrs. Weasley's cooking. Hermione was seated across from Buffy, and the twins had managed to outrun Sirius and seat themselves firmly on either side of the blonde. Ron and Ginny sat on either side of Hermione, trying desperately not to laugh at the antics of their brothers. Sirius sat at the head of the table, purposely ignoring the twins and staring straight at his food, while Lupin at the other end was grinning madly at his friend. Molly was sitting on Lupin's right, beside George, and Arthur was seated across from her, beside Ron. Those who weren't laughing at something were digging in.

"Great food, Mrs. Weasley," Buffy complimented, swallowing another mouthful.

"Thank you dear."

"Absolutely splendid, mum."

"Superb."

"Delectable."

"Good enough to eat."

"You _are_ eating it."

"Because it's good enough!"

Buffy laughed, clamping a hand over her mouth to keep herself from spitting out her pumpkin juice. Fred and George had done nothing but crack jokes all evening, and she was finding herself powerless to resist the funniness. She found herself reminiscing about the times she and her friends had shared dinner together, laughing at things and pretending they hadn't a care in the world. Giles would say something, and Xander would joke, and they would laugh. It was their time of escape, their time to forget about vampires and demons and apocalypses. It was a time for them to be normal human beings; people who could relax and have fun. It was _their_ time.

Buffy pushed herself away from the table, putting down her fork. "I'm, uh, kinda full," she said, looking down at the table. She knew they were all staring at her. "Great dinner, Mrs. Weasley... I'm um, gonna go... read."

Feeling all their eyes on her, Buffy sent a quick smile and exited the room. Hermione was about to follow, but Sirius caught her eye and shook his head slightly. She relaxed slightly, but stared after Buffy with the rest of the table. The ambience was broken, and no one really knew why.

Buffy was alone in her room, wiping the few stray tears from her eyes. She was never a crier, but thinking about things, the past, her friends, it was bittersweet to her. Thinking about it now, she wasn't sure how she survived that first year of slaying without anyone to talk to. She wasn't sure how she survived the last _month_ without them. Willow, Xander, Giles, Dawn; they were her everything. Thinking at the table, she felt like she was replacing them. She didn't want to replace them, not with Sirius, not with the twins, not with Hermione. Not with anyone.

Her quill scratched across the paper in a few quick scribbles. Giles was the closest, and she knew he could get the message out.

_Giles, Xander, Willow, Dawn, Spike, Angel, Andrew, and everyone else:  
I miss you guys. Pass it on.  
Love Buffy._

"You gonna tell me what that was about?" Sirius asked from her doorway.

"Nothing," Buffy lied, tying the letter to Angel's leg and sending him off. "It was nothing."

"Nothing doesn't usually take away your appetite," Sirius pointed out.

"I just... I don't know," Buffy said finally, giving in. "I was having fun, a real good time, thinking, hey, I could get used to this. And then I thought about it some more, and I thought, you know, I _did_ get used to this. With my friends. And I felt horrible because I felt like I was replacing them. And I don't want to let go of them. And yea, it's only been a month, but I miss them. And Dawnie, oh God, I miss her. My baby sister, Sirius, and I haven't even seen her yet. I'm sitting down there, thinking about how much fun _I'm_ having."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "That's it? Buffy, be reasonable here. No one's judging you. Your friends don't think you're replacing them, do they?"

"I wouldn't know," Buffy replied quietly. "I haven't talked to any of them besides Angel. I really miss them Sirius. You know that saying, you don't know what you got till it's gone? That's what I feel like."

Sirius sighed, running a hand through his haggy black hair. "I know," he said. "Look, maybe we can talk Dumbledore into arranging a vacation for you before school starts? I mean, your watcher, Giles, he's living in England right? It wouldn't be hard to get you over there..."

"Thanks," Buffy said, cutting him off.

"For what?"

"Everything. Taking me in. Making sure I'm alright. Caring. You know... everything."

Sirius smiled. "You're welcome. Now come on, Molly's serving up dessert."

Buffy jumped up from her bed, grinning. "Definitely of the good," she said decisively, walking out with Sirius.

---

yea, yea I know, the Hermione slayer thing has been done, but I wanted to do it. Plus, I personally think that everyone makes Hermione so two-dimensional as a smart goody-two-shoes and I want to give her some depth. So here I am, giving depth. Plus, Buffy needs a friend who's closer to her age than Ginny (who was original plan for slayer). lol and those of you who saw the original movie will recognize the bit about throwing the knife at her head... I always liked that part...

Anywho, drop me a review, let me know what you think. 


	6. Big News

Thanks everyone for the reviews!! Keep 'em coming!  
Chapter 5 - Big News When they reached the dining room, it was quieter than before, mostly due to Buffy's abrupt exit. The twins were busy formulating a plan of some sort, judging by the looks on their faces and their hushed muttered. Hermione was holding a conversation with Ron, though Ron seemed to be the one doing all the talking; Hermione kept looking at the ceiling, presumably towards where Buffy's room was. Mrs. Weasley, in all her motherly and loving instincts, looked terribly distressed and kept wringing her hands, and Arthur was split between comforting his wife and speaking with Lupin. None of them seemed to notice Sirius and Buffy until the former cleared his throat, drawing their attention immediately.  
"Molly," he said conversationally, a protective hand on Buffy's shoulder. "I'd say it's about time for dessert." Mrs Weasley smiled brightly and moved off to get the food, while the others looked a bit uncomfortable. Buffy rolled her eyes.  
"Guys, I left the dinner table, I didn't die." "Well in that case," George said quickly, throwing an arm around her shoulders.  
"We'll just have to fill you up on dessert," Fred finished, in a similar position to George on Buffy's other side.  
"To make up for the dinner you lost." "Fatten you up." "Try some of these." "NO!" several people bellowed at once, making Buffy laugh loudly. "Do not eat anything that they give you. At all." The twins looked slightly put out. "Damn," one muttered, quiet enough to only be heard by Buffy. "Come on, it's not dangerous. We really need to test out the Skiving Snackboxes, and ickle Ronnikins and his friends wont bite." Hermione fixed them with a withering look that made Buffy almost proud. "Ron's told me about those. They give you nosebleeds and make you vomit just so you can get out of class." "It's ingenious really," one twin began. And the world was back on its orbit, full of happy, laughing people - in one house of the world, at least.  
-  
At the end of the week, Hermione announced that Buffy was done with the basics of all her courses, which ultimately pleased the older girl (though she had a sneaking suspicion that it was mainly due to the fact that they just didn't have time to dwell on simple things). Buffy found that, once she had mastered the easiest work, namely: first year studies, it wasn't all that difficult to move through the other years. They were almost halfway through the important parts of fifth year (which Hermione also found incredibly interesting, as she hadn't had time to memorize the course books yet) when Buffy made an announcement of her own.  
"You're on your own tonight," Buffy said, quite suddenly, as the two exited the house that night. Behind them, Lupin let out a strangled noise.  
"Buffy, do you really-" "Think that's necessary?" she interrupted him. "Yes. Yes, I do." "But Buffy, I've only just started!" Hermione protested, finding the thought of fighting alone rather daunting and not something she wanted to face just yet.  
Buffy put her hands on Hermione's shoulders and stared her in the face. "Hermione, when I started out, I was just as old as you, and there wasn't another Slayer to watch my back all the time. You need to be able to look after yourself, just in case I'm notÂthere sometime. I have faith in you." Hermione swallowed and nodded, not finding the sentiment overly comforting, but she had tried to argue with Buffy before. It just didn't work. And she knew, as much as Buffy had implied that she wouldn't help, that if things got really bad, the older slayer wouldn't hesitate to jump into the fray. The two had become close enough in their time together, with the tutoring and training, but Hermione always felt like she was missing a part of Buffy's life, something the older girl was deliberately holding back. In fact, a whole lot of somethings that the older girl was holding back. But she had learned early on not to question when Buffy withdrew. Certain topics were simply taboo.  
Unknown to Hermione as they trekked through the streets, similar thoughts were plaguing the mind of Buffy as well. Something had happened that night, something big. It was so sudden and overwhelming that for a second, Buffy had thought for sure it was the apocalypse. Sirius had quickly informed that it wasn't, but she still felt uneasy. Whatever was going on, it was important, and, though she was unofficially part of the Order, no one would tell her. Many of them swooped off instantly to some unknown place, leaving the others to wonder after them. Buffy wasn't particularly pleased, and had taken her anger out on Kreacher, which made Hermione incredibly angry, but ultimately put Buffy (and therefore everyone) into a much better mood.  
Fred and George were still staying rather close to Buffy, though she honestly felt that they were only flirting with her for the sake of flirting, which suited her fine. It was hard to get any privacy though, and even worse trying to get out of the house with Hermione at night. She started to wonder if the boys ever slept at all, but quickly squashed the thought as a vampire jumped out at the group.  
He didn't seem to notice Buffy and Lupin, who hung back a bit to give Hermione room to fight, only went for the small brunette. Buffy, putting herself in the vampire's position, could see the logic in it, really. Any vampire would be able to sense the wolf in lupin, they didn't want to attack him, and though Buffy was smaller that Hermione, she was much more confident, something vamps didn't usually go for when given a choice. So they chose Hermione, but it was the wrong choice anyways.  
A brief scuffle ensued, starting with the vampire gaining the upper hand. Hermione, not used to being on her own, had hesitated, allowing the vampire to take a swipe at her. For a moment, Buffy had been afraid that she would have to get involved, before Hermione made a sweeping kick at the vampire's ankles, sending him off balance. She attempted to plunge her stake into his heart, but he blocked the wooden weapon, throwing her off balance and stumbling backwards. Hermione barely managed to dodge a punch, and returned with a powerful punch to his abdomen. Lupin cringed as Hermione's foot came up sharply to connect with the vampire's groin. In a few more moments, she had staked him.  
Hermione leaned back on a tree, catching her breath. It never seemed to take so long with Buffy. Then again, things were a lot easier when you had someone to back you up. But she allowed herself to feel a swell of pride, knowing that she had done it herself, without help or support. She had officially proven herself.  
The only problem was: now she had to prove herself three more times.  
-  
When they reached the house three hours later, Hermione leant heavily on Buffy's shoulder, trying to ignore the pain in her leg. A vampire had taken a swing at her, not with his own fist, but with a dagger. The cut was deep, but it would heal, and it was the last thing on the young slayer's mind at the moment. She had dusted six vampires that night, before Buffy had called an end to the solo fight and brought Hermione back to Grimmauld place. But anyone within a mile radius could see the beacon of pride surrounding them. Nothing could bring down their spirits.  
They walked into the house and immediately started work on Hermione's leg. They could hear voices in the other room, and Buffy wondered for a second what they were talking about this early in the morning - it was 2 am. She didn't dwell on it as she cast about for potions ingredients and Lupin pulled out his wand. They rolled up Hermione's pant leg, which caused Lupin to cringe slightly: the wound was bad. But it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened.  
"Oy, what happened there?" George asked, eyes wide, as he strode into the hall. Hermione instantly pulled down the leg of her jeans, but the damage was done. George rushed out of the room and returned with Fred. "C'mon then, 'Mione, show us again," he urged.  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "George is having hallucinations again, Fred, you'll have to forgive him," she said icily.  
Fred looked hurt. "Honestly, 'Mione, I'm insulted that you think my intelligence is thatÂlow." "Oh, just let us see it," George begged. A glint came into his eyes. "Or we'll tell Harry all about it. D'you want him to know all about Hermione's late-night adventures?" In a second, Buffy was in front of Hermione, holding the younger girl back, but it didn't stop Hermione from sending a worthy death-glare.  
"You wouldn't tell him anything!" she hissed. "Because Dumbledore's so bloody uptight about anything we tell him to the point where he's barely even speaking to us and is probably going to hate us all at the end of the summer!" "Down, girl," Buffy said, pushing Hermione back down into her seat. The younger girl scowled, crossing her arms. Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Dramatic much?" "Everyone knows she fancies Harry," Fred said casually.  
Again, Buffy found herself holding Hermione in her seat. "I do not!" Hermione retorted swiftly. Further banter was cut off when Ron came into the kitchen, fighting off a large mass of white feathers.  
"Oy! Gerrof!" Ron shouted at what Buffy now recognized to be an owl. Hedwig: Harry's owl - Buffy had seen the bird a few times since the Weasley's and Hermione had come to Grimmauld Place. Finally, Ron managed to wrestle Hedwig away from his face, but she kept pecking his arm. "Stupid bird!" Hermione was on her feet instantly, trying to help Ron and ignore the pain in her leg at the same time. It proved rather easy: focussing her attention on Ron and Hedwig made her forget about her leg. A simple yet highly effective solution. However, one that didn't last long, as Hedwig stopped attacking Ron quite suddenly to stick out her leg at Hermione. There was a note attached.  
Hermione looked briefly around the room; everyone was a bit surprised at how Hedwig simply stopped. Hesitantly, the young brunette reached her hand out and took the parchment. She got paler and paler as she read the few scribbled lines. When she had finished, she dropped the parchment and looked at Ron.  
"What happened?" Buffy questioned, looking from Ron to Hermione and back again. Lupin and the twins had disappeared in the ruckus.  
"Did you know about this?" Hermione asked Ron quietly, seeming to miss the fact that he hadn't read her letter. It didn't matter anyways.  
"What happened?" Buffy repeated, a bit firmer this time. She didn't enjoy being ignored.  
"Not till Hedwig got here with the letters. Exact same one for Sirius and I. Apparently Mundugus Fletcher skipped out on watching Harry; you should've heard mum screaming at him. Where were you, anyways?" "WHAT HAPPENED?!" Buffy demanded, rather loudly this time, standing up and looking very dangerous, despite the fact that she was the shortest person in the room. Ron, who had until then managed to avoid Buffy's intimidating moods, was rather surprised, and took a step back. Hermione mentally cursed herself for ignoring the older girl; she knew full well what happened when Buffy got upset.  
"There was an attack," said a voice behind them. Sirius stood in the doorway, looking more worried than Buffy ever remembered seeing him. "Harry was attacked by Dementors." "And Dementors are...?" Buffy questioned, sounding only slightly less irritated.  
"And she's going into her seventh year?" Ron questioned, seeming to get his courage back up.  
"Stuff it, Weasley," Buffy shot back, not even glancing at him. "Sirius? What's going on?" Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "Ron, Hermione, go upstairs to bed. You'll hear about this in the morning." Ron looked about to argue, but Hermione silenced him with a look. They walked out of the kitchen, followed by Hedwig, who didn't look too happy (if owls could really look happy at all). Hermione neglected to mention that she was just as qualified as Buffy to hear what was going on, since no one but the Order knew about her new destiny, and she didn't want Ron asking questions.  
After they'd left, Sirius sat down and motioned for Buffy to do the same. He didn't even try to hide how upset and worried he was. Whatever Dementors were, Buffy was sure they didn't just randomly attack people. The fact that they attacked Harry PotterÂof all people wasn't a coincidence either. Voldemort was making his first move, and it had the Order up in arms.  
"Dementors," he began. "Are the guards of Azkaban, the wizard prison where I was held. They're the worst things you can imagine. When they get close, everything gets cold. They glide around, robed in black, and you never see their faces - assuming they have any - past the hoods, and sometimes you can see their sickly-pale "skin" if they really want to freak you out." "But what do they do?" Buffy pressed. So far, they just sounded like a cross between the grim reaper and a vampire, which honestly didn't scare her that much. Very little in this world did.  
"They suck the happiness right out of you, it's like food for them. They force you to relive your very worst memories. And sometimes... they kiss you. That's what it's called, when they suck your soul right out. And you aren't dead, but you're certainly not alive." Sirius shivered. "They almost did that to me once, and it was the scariest moment of my life. And the way it sounds now, they tried to do that to Harry." Buffy's next question was simple and blunt, a window to her Slayer-self. "How can I kill it?" "You're not likely to come across any Dementors the Ministry'll just let you kill. And the danger's passed for Harry, so it's really not-" "How can I kill it?" Buffy interrupted. "Don't make me ask again." Sirius sighed. "I don't think they ever actually die, per se. But there's a very difficult spell to get rid of them. Harry's beaten a few that way: used it tonight. It's called a Patronus. Maybe we'll teach you sometime." Buffy nodded absently. "So how're you holding up?" she asked quietly. It was hard for her to see Sirius like this; he tried not to let her know when he was upset, and he usually did a good job. But when it came to Harry, Buffy had realized that Sirius wasn't as strong. She knew part of it was because he really cared for Harry, but she was sure there was something more, something she just couldn't quite put her finger on.  
"Honestly? I'm alright, I just hope Harry's the same. The poor kid's holed up with family he hates, worried every day about a powerful wizard that no one believes is back, dealing with friends that can't tell him anything that's going on, and then he gets attacked! We'll be lucky if he even speaks to us at the end of the summer." Buffy smiled wryly. "That's what Hermione screamed at George earlier. Or Fred. I can't keep those two straight." "And how are they treating you?" Sirius asked, trying (and failing) to get his mind off Harry. He knew that there was nothing he could do now. "Are they bugging you?" Buffy laughed a bit. "No, they're not bugging me," she replied. "They're cool." "And the age thing...?" "I'm embracing my seventeen-year-old self," Buffy replied.  
"So you can act like a seventeen-year-old, but we can't treat you like one?" Sirius asked, sounding slightly amused.  
"Yea, pretty much," Buffy replied, winking. Then she shrugged. "I mean, it's getting harder to detach myself from it all. I remember everything I did after 17, but it's getting... I don't know. Sort of surreal. Like it was all just a dream, and I only thought it was real. Very wiggy." "I'm sure," Sirius replied dryly, starting to smirk. "So the twins aren't bothering you then?" Buffy shook her head. "Nah. Well, it's kinda hard to get out of the house when they just poof up beside me all of a sudden. Cool trick by the way." "Apparating? You should ask Dumbledore if you can get your license, you're old enough." "You think I'm ready for that? Isn't it s'posed to be kinda hard?" "Well, the twins got it, didn't they?" "You don't have enough faith in them. They're not really as dumb as they let on." "I'd be surprised.  
"I bet you would." Sirius laughed briefly, making Buffy smile. At least she'd gotten him to laugh. "So, we'll ask Dumbledore, see what he says. It would be really useful in any case." Buffy nodded. "Yea," she said, around a yawn. She smiled a bit sheepishly. "All this excitement has made me tired I guess." Sirius smiled and stood up with her. "Have a good sleep, k?" Buffy nodded. "Will do." 


End file.
